Gunay Afandiyeva: Azerbaijan plays an exceptionally important and strategic role in Organization of Turkic States – COMMENTARY
Baku, April 19, AZERTAC
"Recently, President Ilham Aliyev took part in the international forum themed “Facing the New World Order” held at ADA University in Baku. This was the seventh time the head of state spoke at such forums, and each time he addresses highly relevant topics and issues of global concern with sincerity and openness. His speeches greatly contribute to a clearer understanding of Azerbaijan's position both in the region and in the international arena. That is why President Aliyev’s speeches consistently resonate in global media and among analytical communities,” Member of Parliament and Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Culture Gunay Afandiyeva said in an interview with AZERTAC.
“One of the important aspects of this forum was that international experts visited the liberated territories, and during this visit to Khankendi, they witnessed the real scale of the destruction with their own eyes and directly observed the reconstruction process undertaken by our government. They once again saw that Azerbaijan is not only content with military-political victory, but is also setting a genuine example of post-war reconstruction, contributing to peace, stability, and development prospects in the region,” Afandiyeva noted.
The MP emphasized that the President's speech at the Forum once again fully reflected Azerbaijan's strategic vision and principled position in the post-conflict period. She noted: “The head of state sent a clear message to the international community — Baku remains committed to peace, but that peace is only possible on the basis of international law and existing realities. The fundamental condition for normalization of relations with Armenia is that Armenia must completely and unequivocally renounce its territorial claims against Azerbaijan, which are still enshrined in its constitution.
Only after this essential change, as well as the dissolution of the now irrelevant and ineffective Minsk Group, will it be possible for Armenia to join regional cooperation initiatives. This approach once again demonstrates that Azerbaijan is a proponent of a peace and cooperation framework based on justice, international law, and mutual understanding.”
Highlighting the growing importance of relations with the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy and diplomatic discourse in recent years, Gunay Afandiyeva stated: “This stems from the historical and ethnic ties among Turkic peoples and is also part of a broader strategy to establish a new center of power in the regional and global balance. As the President noted, the uniqueness of this center lies in its foundation on common roots and traditions, and the sharing of common values.
Azerbaijan holds an exceptionally important and strategic role within the Organization of Turkic States. Our country serves not only as a geographical bridge between brotherly Türkiye and the Central Asian states, but also as one of the leading forces in the integration process through its political initiatives.
In this context, I believe special mention should be made of Azerbaijan’s support for the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. As President Ilham Aliyev emphasized, Azerbaijan played an active role in granting observer status to the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus within the OTS.
This indicates that Azerbaijan does not aim to align itself with any existing center of power that is either obsolete or on the verge of losing its traditional relevance, but instead seeks to foster a new, strong political center.
It is well known that Azerbaijan, as the leading state of the South Caucasus, has carried out unifying, fair, and result-oriented activities even in broader and more complex geographies. Just consider our country’s chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, which breathed political dynamism into the organization consisting of countries with diverse ethnic, religious, cultural backgrounds, and different social systems.
In the Declaration of the 4th Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement Parliamentary Network held in Tashkent on April 7, support was expressed for the right of the Western Azerbaijani community to return to their native lands, homes, and properties peacefully, safely, and with dignity.
The support given to Azerbaijan’s just position by the member states of the Non-Aligned Movement is not only based on international legal norms but also reflects the respect and trust shown to Azerbaijan as a reliable partner and a responsible, active, and influential member of the international community.”
“In his speech, President Ilham Aliyev expressed confidence that the Organization of Turkic States could become a global center of international engagement.
I believe that regardless of our professional fields, we must all strengthen our joint efforts to deepen integration among Turkic countries and improve existing mechanisms of cooperation. Within the framework of parliamentary diplomacy, expanding mutual relations with Turkic states, promoting the exchange of experience between legislative bodies, and supporting joint legislative initiatives are of particular importance in this direction.
A developing Turkic cooperation can contribute not only to the region but also to global peace, security, and prosperity. The potential of the Organization of Turkic States to emerge as a global actor with significant political weight in the future carries great importance from both political and economic perspectives," Gunay Afandiyeva emphasized.
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